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My Plans

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.
Proverbs 16:3 NIV

I was looking through various translations of Proverbs 16:3. I found that I received each one differently. For as long as I can remember, I have considered this as a verse that makes me think of success. If I commit my actions to God, He will be in my plans. Almost like God is some sort of genie in a bottle. It's a transaction based understanding. If I do A, God will do B for me and B happens to be something I planned out.  

The New Living Translation seems to support my understanding as it says, "Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed." Essentially, if I commit MY actions to God, MY plans will succeed. I seem to be the central focus of this approach.  

There seems to be a flaw in my understanding. If I am the one whose plans are being fulfilled, how can my actions honor God? If I were to truly commit my actions to God, could I still have my own plans? If whatever I do is for God, shouldn't my plans really be the same as His plans? Can I have plans that are my own if I have truly surrendered fully to God?

Usually when I read the King James Version of the Bible I walk away confused. Old English is tough for me to comprehend. However, in this case the KJV has been key. It says, "Commit thy works unto the LORD, And thy thoughts shall be established." The other versions speak about plans, but this version speaks about thoughts. That makes sense. If my actions are intentional for God, my thoughts will be for Him too.  

Think about it from the perspective of a project around the house. Maybe it is Saturday and you are going to do a deep clean of the house or you are building a new shed. That day your actions will be focused on that project. It consumes your thoughts and plans. Or maybe you are planning a vacation. It takes over your thoughts and plans. You may change your budget because you want to save for vacation or you decide to work overtime to earn more for this trip you are excited about. The vacation consumed your actions and your thoughts.  

God wants us to be the same with Him. He wants us to be consumed by Him. As we commit our actions to Him, He takes over our thoughts. His plans become ours. This is not a transactional relationship He is calling us into, but an overwhelming infiltration. God wants our hearts to be filled with Him. He wants our actions and thoughts to show this. 

Be blessed and be a blessing,
Matt

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